This invention relates to sensing pressure in pipes, and more particularly to a non-intrusive displacement based pressure sensor for measuring pressures of a medium within pipes.
It is known in the oil and gas industry that the measurement of fluid pressure in a down-hole pipe is useful to exploration and production of oil and gas. However, typical pressure sensors require that a hole be drilled in the pipe to port the pressure to the sensor, or that the sensor or portion thereof be deployed in the pipe. Drilling holes in the pipes can be costly and add failure modes to the system. Accordingly, it would be desirable to measure pressure in a pipe in a non-invasive manner.
Objects of the present invention include provision of a non-intrusive pressure sensor for measuring unsteady pressure in pipes.
According to the present invention, a pressure sensor for measuring unsteady pressure in at least one axial location along a pipe comprises a displacement based sensor disposed on a surface of the pipe.
According still further to the present invention, the surface of the pipe provides a radial displacement response to the unsteady pressures within the pipe and the displacement-based sensors measure the magnitude of the response and provide a signal proportional to the unsteady pressure. According still further to the present invention, the displacement based sensor may measure the acceleration, velocity or displacement of the surface of the pipe in response to the unsteady pressure. According still further to the present invention, a signal processor provides a signal indicative of the unsteady pressure.
The present invention provides a significant improvement over the prior art by providing a non-intrusive pressure sensor for the measurement of unsteady (ac or dynamic) pressure in a fluid within a pipe using displacement based sensors. Thus, the present invention enables real time pressure measurement for oil and gas exploration and production or for other applications where a fluid (liquid or gas) is flowing in a pipe or conduit.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof.